The present invention relates to a photographing device, recording medium, program, camera and camera production method.
An operation button arranged on a photographing device such as a silver halide camera, or digital camera is made to fixedly correspond to a control sequence by which a predetermined function of the photographing device is conducted, and when a certain button is pressed down, the photographing device conducts a predetermined function according to the corresponding control sequence. For example, in the photographing device 1 shown in FIG. 1, an operation button S1 is a power button, operation button S2 is a release button, operation button S3 is a zoom button on a tele side, operation button S4 is a zoom button on a wide side, and when the operation button S4 is pressed down, the camera conducts the zooming to the wide side.
Conventionally, for the operation button, the function corresponding to the operation of the operation button is fixedly set by the internal structure and program of the photographing device. Therefore, for example, in the photographing device shown in FIG. 1, when a type of a camera in which the operation button S1 is the tele side zoom button, operation button S2 is the wide side release button, operation button S3 is the power button, and operation button S4 is the release button, is produced, the internal structure and program are individually designed and produced corresponding to that.
Further, there is a kind of a camera in the photographing device in which, when a predetermined operation button is pressed down, the power source is turned on/off, or a kind of camera in which, by the opening/closing of a slide type lens barrier, the power source is turned on/off, however, even in a case where these photographing devices are produced, respectively proper internal structure and program are designed and produced.
However, in the case where a plurality of kinds of cameras are produced by changing the function which is conducted when a certain operation button is operated, or the power source switching method, when the internal structure and program are newly designed for each kind of camera and the production process is provided separately, there are problems that the cost is increased, and the production process or inventory control becomes complex. Further, in order to satisfy the diversification of the user needs and decrease of the cost, the various developments are made conventionally.
In order to provide the lineup of the various products at low cost, a method of common using of the parts among many kinds of products is used. In the method of commonly using the parts, the parts of the range which can commonly use among products, are commonly used, and in order to make the difference in the function, by producing only parts which can not be commonly used, for each product, the part cost and assembling cost can be reduced.
However, there is a limit in the cost reduction depending on such the common using of the parts.
That is, for the part which can not be commonly used, it is necessary that the metallic die is made for each part, and further, the assembling process is necessary for each different part, and the increase of cost is inevitable. Further, it is necessary that a different control section is provided for each function, and it results in a factor to hinder the cost reduction.
Further, the diversification of the user needs advances, and there is a tendency that the variation of the individual level is requested, and there is a tendency that the quick response to the changing needs is requested. When the different parts for each need are newly used and respond to such the needs, it is not only necessary that the metallic die is newly produced for each need, but it is also necessary that the production process is made different for each need, and there are many cases that the quick response is difficult, and the cost is increased.
The first object of the present invention is, in the photographing device, that the function of the operation button or the power source switching method can be set without changing the internal structure and program.
The second object of the present invention is to provide a camera and a production method of the camera, wherein both of the low cost and quick response are satisfied to the diversification of the needs of the consumer.
Structures of the present invention to solve the above problems are:
(1). A photographing device comprising: an operation member to be operated by an external operation; a memory device for memorizing a plurality of control sequences to be conducted according to an operation of the operation member; a setting device for setting a requested control sequence among the plurality of control sequences by correlating the requested control sequence with the control sequence to be controlled by the operation of the operation member; and a control sequence execution device for executing the requested control sequence set by the setting means, according to the operation of the operation member.
(5). A computer program product, comprising a program to realize the following functions by a computer to control a photographing apparatus having an operation member to be operated by an external operation: a function to memorize, in a memory device, plural control sequences to be conducted according to an operation of the operation member; a function to set a requested control sequence in the plural control sequences by correlating the requested control sequences with a control sequence to be controlled by the operation of the operation member; and a function to execute the requested control sequence according to the operation of the operation member.
According to the photographing device of (1) and the program described in (5), a plurality of the control sequences to be conducted according to the operation of the operation member are stored in the memory device, and a predetermined control sequence in the stored plurality of control sequences is set by correlating with the control sequence to be controlled by the operation of the operation member, and when the predetermined operation member is operated, the set control sequence is conducted. Accordingly, without changing the internal structure or program, the control sequence to be conducted corresponding to the operation of the operation member can be easily set. As the result, in the production process, by using the common internal structure or program, plural kinds of photographing devices whose operability is different, can be easily produced, and the simplification of the production process and the inventory control, and the reduction of the cost due to the mass production effect can be realized.
The structure of (2) further has a renewal means for renewing the content of setting in the setting device of the structure (1).
According to (2), the setting of the control sequence controlled by the operation of the operation member can be renewed. Accordingly, the specification change according to the function of the operation member can be easily conducted in the photogrgaphing device.
The structure (3) is the photographing device of the structure of (1) or (2), wherein the operation member comprises an operation button or a mechanical element being able to change a state by a predetermined operation; the memory device memorizes a first control sequence to detect an operation of the operation button, and the second control sequence to detect a state change of the mechanical element by the predetermined operation; the setting device effectively sets any one of the first control sequence or the second control sequence; the control sequence execution device executes the effectively set control sequence in the first control sequence or the second control sequence; and the photographing apparatus switches ON/OFF of a power source for the photographing apparatus according to a detection of the operation of the operation button or a detection of the state change of the mechanical element.
According to the structure (3), whether the switching of the power source is conducted by the operation of the operation button or by operating the mechanical sections can be easily set or changed without changing the internal structure or program. As a result, a plurality kind of cameras whose appearance or operability is different can be easily produced, and the simplification of the production process and the inventory control, and the reduction of the cost due to the mass production effect can be realized.
(4). A rewritable recording medium to be loaded in a photographing apparatus comprising an operation member to be operated by an external operation and a memory device to memorize plural kinds of control sequences to be conducted according to an operation of the operation member, wherein the recording medium memorizes a requested control sequence among the plural kinds of control sequences memorized in the memory device by correlating the requested control sequence with the control sequence to be controlled by the operation of the operation member.
According to the structure (4), according to the content of the correlation of the operation member with the control sequence stored in the recording medium, because the photographing device sets the control sequence to be conducted by operating the control member and conducts it, by only changing the content of the recording medium and mounting it in the photographing device, it can be changed to the kind of photographing device whose operability is different. As the result, in the production process or the specification change, the kind of photographing device whose operability is different can be easily produced, and the simplification of the production process and the inventory control, and the reduction of the cost due to the mass production effect can be realized.
(6). A camera comprising: a camera main body having a function setting device for setting a function; and a cover having an activating member to act on the function setting device for setting a function; wherein, the camera has the function being set by the function setting device activated by the cover.
(7). The camera of the structure (6), wherein the camera main body comprises a function realization means for realizing the function being set by the function setting device.
(8). The camera of the structure (7), wherein the function realization means comprises a memory for storing a program for realizing the function.
(9). A camera comprising: a camera main body having a function setting device for setting a function; and a cover not having an activating member to act on the function setting device for setting a function; wherein, the camera does not have the function.
(10). A camera manufacturing method comprising: preparing a camera main body having a function setting device for setting a function, a first cover having an activating member to act on the function setting device for setting a function, and a second cover not having the activating member; assembling the camera main body and the first cover to make a first camera having the functions set by the function setting device activated by the first cover; and assembling the camera main body and the second cover to make the second camera not having the function.
(11). A camera comprising: a camera main body having a first function setting device for setting a function and a second function setting means, which is provided at a different position from the first function setting means, for setting the function; and a first cover having a first operation section by which the operation of the first function setting means can be conducted, and the first cover not having a operation section by which the operation of the second function setting means can be conducted; wherein the function can be set by the first operation section.
(12). A camera manufacturing method comprising: preparing a camera main body having a first function setting means for setting a function and a second function setting means, which is provided at a different position from the first function setting means, for setting the function; preparing a first cover having a first operation section by which the operation of the first function setting means can be conducted, and the first cover not having a operation section by which the operation of the second function setting means can be conducted, and a second cover having a second operation section by which the operation of the second function setting means can be conducted, and the second cover not having a operation section by which the operation of the first function setting means can be conducted; and assembling the camera main body with the first cover or the second cover to make two kinds of camera, wherein the same function is set at different positions by each kind of the two kinds of camera.